Control Arm Bushing

Most people have never heard of a control arm bushing, but when the control arm bushing has gone bad or needs to be replaced on your vehicle chances are you will know it and suddenly you will become very familiar with the name as well as the purpose of the part. It's important to differentiate between the control arm and the control arm bushing, because these really are two different parts of the suspension system.

The control arm is actually the device that connects the suspension system to the chassis of the vehicle. The control arm is then pressed in by something called bushings at each of the control arm ends to secure the connection to the chassis. The control arm bushing sounds like it would be something substantial, but it is actually a rather smaller metal cylinder that has rubber and metal on it and allows for a bolt to pass through it. The control arm bushing is used to hold the bold in place that actually connects the control arm to the chassis. The control arm bushing may be small in size, but without it the whole suspension system would not be properly connected to the chassis of the vehicle, which could cause a wide assortment of issues.

While the control arm bushing is an important part of the suspension system, it is very easy to install. In fact, most people who are handy and enjoy working on their vehicle will find that they can replace the control arm bushing of their vehicle with relative ease. If you would like to attempt the replacement of a worn arm bushing you will need a bench vise and a bottle jack. Before you attempt to remove the worn control arm bushing you need to be sure that you soak it through with a liberal amount of lubricant, as this will make the un-installation of the worn piece much smoother. It's a good idea if you plan to replace all of the control arm bushings to do them one at a time. This will allow for the whole suspension system to continue to be supported. In addition, if you have issues with one you won't feel stressed out because you still need to get to the remaining control arm bushings. You can prep them all by lubricating them, but remove them and replace them one at a time just to be sure there is proper support and to guard yourself from having issues and not being able to make the replacement on your own.

If you have noticed that your control arm bushing needs to be replaced or it is a bit tarnished or something, you may want to call your local mechanic or even the dealership and see how much they will charge to replace this small but significant part. You might be surprised when they come on the line and let you know that it will be a couple hundred dollars to have this simple part removed. Instead of shelling out the cash to have someone else do this job for you, you can do it yourself. You can usually buy the control arm bushing at your auto parts store for a small fee and install a worn one or replace all of them in an afternoon for much, much less than you would pay to do it yourself. You can upgrade the control arm bushing or just replace what is already on your vehicle and you'll find that it is generally a very satisfying installation experience even if you have never done it before.